How do you learn to be funny?

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Quick Answer

There is evidence to suggest that comedy is a skill that can be gained or honed through practice; doing things like taking classes or studying advice from famous comedians may help a person become more humorous. It may be possible to find a professional stand-up or improv comic who teaches workshops or clinics on comedy, allowing individuals to hone their skills in a group setting through hands-on learning. Additionally, books on the subject are available for those who want additional information or prefer to study on their own.

As a form of human communication, humor may well be something a person can learn. Learning to be funny starting from scratch may take effort. Those who choose to learn to be funny by attempting to learn how to perform stand-up comedy may need to prepare themselves not only for hard work involving research and joke writing but also the potentially painful and embarrassing process of actually performing in front of other people.

For those who simply want to learn more about comedy and see if that has an effect on their sense of humor, purchase or borrow books such as the Upright Citizens Brigade's "Comedy Improvisation Manual," which was written by the members of the successful Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) comedy troupe, including Roberts, Matt Walsh and Matt Besser.